Cross country training is well under way! This year we are participating in cross country by either running or fast walking. We are learning about setting realistic goals for ourselves and why participating in daily kori tinana is great for our hauora. While we are practising for our cross country we are also working towards our Rā Hauora in week 5 of this term. The Amazing Race - Rā Hauora will be a fun team race with a focus on collaboration and inclusiveness.
This week our school visited the Hukanui marae. We as Manuhiri (visitors) were welcomed onto the marae by the tangata whenua (people of the land). The Hukanui marae is the marae that Hamilton East School has a connection to.
The marae was moved because of the arrival of British troops in 1864. The new wharepuni (camp hut) was built from ponga logs and raupo reeds. Named after the nearby swamp land. It is very foggy on cold frosty mornings, and the fog hangs down low on the ground. The second Maaori king was Tawhaio, Tukuroto Matutaera Potatau Te Wherowhero. He called the Wharenui 'Tu Tururu-a-papa kamutu'. Enduring the land. To the people, this means that they will not be made to move again. Their marae is their home and it will always be there.
We are now a part of the Hukanui Marae.
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| Marae experience - By Layton Mace |
We have been working hard this term practising our swimming! We know how important it is to feel confident in the water as we have so many opportunities to swim in New Zealand. As the weather gets colder swimming is coming to an end however, we have enjoyed learning valuable skills we can use in the water and had a lot of fun doing so!
Check out some of our swimming sessions below and leave a comment!
Genius Hour
Where passions come alive!
Genius hour is a movement that allows students to explore their own passions and encourages creativity in the classroom. Room 9 was given a set time each week where they have a choice in what they learn.
The first thing we had to establish was a driving question, which we couldn't find the answer to on google. We had to research, plan and create our projects with only 1 hour per week to do so. We then reflected after each session on how our projects were going and whether we were sticking to our driving question. We thought about what was working, what isn't, what challenges we are facing and how can we overcome them.
At the end of our 8 weeks of genius hour we presented our passions. Everyone in room 9 presented amazing projects and were able to reflect on the process. Our genius hour has inspired us to be life long learners and we will continue to ask questions, wonder and reflect on our everyday learning.
